This Rocky Mountain Town Is Home to the Most Popular Ski Resort in the U.S.
Breckenridge, Colorado, came in at No. 1.
With an elevation just shy of 13,000 feet, 2,900 skiable acres, and an average yearly snowfall of 355 inches, it’s no wonder Colorado’s Breckenridge is the most popular ski resort in the United States.
The Vail Resorts-owned mountain, which is about two hours west of Denver International Airport (DEN), is the most popular ski resort in the country according to a HomeToGo report provided to Travel + Leisure. Rankings were determined based on the number of user searches initiated on the company's website.
Though it may be a fan-favorite, Breckenridge is certainly not cheap. The average cost per person will set you back about $370.72 per day — and that's partially due to high vacation rental prices. However, Breckenridge is also a part of the Epic Pass network. Members not only enjoy unlimited ski access to Breckenridge and other Epic Pass resorts (including several international destinations, such as Hakuba Valley, Japan), they can get 20 percent discounts on things like lodging, lessons, and food. This season, Epic Passes are going for $1,047 each.
But Breckenridge isn’t the only Colorado mountain travelers are looking to visit. In fact, four of the top five resorts on HomeToGo’s list were located in the Centennial State. Other popular picks include Park City,Utah, as well as Vail and Keystone in Colorado. They came in at the second, third, and fourth spots on the roundup, respectively.
“Each year, U.S. travelers pack their bags and prepare to hit the slopes at a range of the country’s most popular mountain destinations,” Eleanor Moody, senior PR and inbound marketing manager at HomeToGo, told T+L. “For the season ahead, our data indicates a particularly strong interest in iconic ski resorts in the West ... From the spanning acres of Vail to the high altitudes of Breckenridge, the statistics show that skiers from all over the U.S. have selected this region as their top choice for bucket list, snow-clad adventures this winter.”
Winter Park Resort, which is one of the closest mountains to DEN (it's about an hour and a half west), rounded out the top five most popular ski resorts in the U.S. Powder hounds can expect to pay about $250 per day for lift tickets at Winter Park. However, the resort participates in the Ikon Pass, a ski and snowboarding network similar to the Epic Pass — it gives members access to 50 resorts worldwide (as well as other discounts) for $1,449 per person. Plus, if you'd like to hit Winter Park's slopes but want to skip the rental car, you can board Amtrak’s popular ski train, which provides seasonal service between the resort and Denver Union Station.